PRACTICAL DISTINCTIVES

WE BELIEVE IN GOVERNANCE BY A PLURALITY OF MALE ELDERS, EQUAL IN AUTHORITY AND MUTUALLY ACCOUNTABLE

We believe there are two offices in the church — elder and deacon. The elders focus upon prayer, the ministry of the Word, shepherding, and ruling. While each elder has specific gifts and responsibilities, no one elder has more authority than the others as a “Senior Pastor.” The deacons help the elders and focus primarily on managing practical matters such as benevolence, finances, property issues, and logistics. We affirm the biblical teaching that women are not to teach or exercise authority over men in the church. ( I Timothy 3:1-7; I Peter 5:1-5; Hebrews 13:17; Acts 6:1-6; I Timothy 3:8-13; 2:11-12)

WE UPHOLD THE MINISTRY OF ALL BELIEVERS

Every believer is gifted by God and should be active in serving Christ’s church. We seek to equip our members to serve. We give our members a great deal of freedom in the exercise of their ministry gifts and encourage them to establish new ministries. (I Peter 4:10-11; I Corinthians 12:4-7; Ephesians 4:11-16; II Timothy 2:2)

WE ARE DEVOTED TO WORSHIP REGULATED BY SCRIPTURE

We believe Scripture regulates what we do in worship (the regulative principle). We are not free to add to or subtract from the essential elements of worship that God has revealed. The focus of our services is not to please people with entertainment, but to glorify God by worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24; Leviticus 10:1-3; Deuteronomy 12:32)

Like the early church, we are devoted to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers (Acts 2:42). We seek to balance these elements in our morning and evening services. On Sunday mornings we emphasize the ministry of the Word. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday evening, except on the first Sunday of the month when it is held in the morning service. We devote an extended time to prayer during evening worship. And we enjoy fellowship throughout the day—before, during, and after our worship services. We also have a fellowship meal together on the last Sunday of each month.

WE PRACTISE BIBLICAL CHURCH DISCIPLINE

Christ wants His church to be pure from sin, error, and division. The procedures we use are set forth in our church Constitution and By-laws. (I Corinthians 5:1-13; II Thessalonians 3:14-15; Titus 3:10-11)

WE DESIRE TO BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN WORLD MISSIONS

The central work of missions is proclaiming the gospel of Christ so that God will be glorified as people are converted and churches are established. We believe the local church is called to identify, train, send, and support missionaries. (Acts 13-14)

WE ARE EVANGELISTIC

We seek to proclaim the gospel at every worship service. We encourage people to share the gospel with their family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers, and to invite them to church. We also desire to reach out to the community around us in various ways. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)

WE COOPERATE WITH OTHER CHURCHES

We believe that biblical churches should cooperate, not compete. We are exploring the possibility of joining a network of like-minded churches. (II Corinthians 8-9; Romans 15:22-33)

WE SEEK TO HELP TRAIN FUTURE CHURCH LEADERS

We hope to soon begin holding weekly discipleship meetings to train and encourage those in the congregation who are seeking to prepare themselves for leadership in the church. (II Timothy 2:2)

WE SUPPORT AND PRACTISE BIBLICAL COUNSELLING

All Christians struggle with sin and the effect it has on our lives and our relationships. Whenever a Christian is unable to overcome sinful attitudes or behaviours through private efforts, God desires that he seek assistance from other members, and especially from the elders, who have the responsibility of providing pastoral counselling and oversight. Therefore, we encourage and enjoin members to make confession to and seek counsel from each other, and especially from the pastors. Counselling at Metcalfe Street Church is based on scriptural principles, rather than those of secular psychology or psychiatry. (Romans 15:14; Galatians 6:1-2; Colossians 3:16; II Timothy 2:15-26, 3:16-4:2; Hebrews 10:24-25, 13:17; James 5:16)

WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF FAMILIES

We seek to train husbands to be spiritual leaders in their homes, and to train parents to raise their children biblically. We encourage families to attend worship services together. Ministries for children and youth are not intended to replace the training which goes on in the home, and parents are free to choose whether to take advantage of these ministries. We also seek to minister to the needs of our unmarried members. (Psalm 127; Ephesians 5:22-6:4)